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Mark Menzies welcomes £15.6 million business payments in Fylde

Fylde MP Mark Menzies has welcomed more payments to small businesses in Fylde as part of the Government’s Coronavirus Small Business Grants Scheme.

More than £15.6 million has now been paid to businesses has been paid to small business owners.

That equates to some 1,314 claims from an identified 1,721 small businesses which are eligible.

Mr Menzies said: “Our small businesses are the heart of our communities and they need as much help as possible. I am pleased to see this funding coming through from Government and I am pleased to see it being distributed by Fylde Council.

“I know officers have worked late and through weekends to get the money out to business owners.

“We are witnessing the largest rescue packages for businesses this country has ever seen and there are developments daily.

“I would urge any qualifying business owners who have not yet applied for this funding to do so as soon as possible.

“The Government is determined to ensure that people get the support they need to do the right thing – to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives.”

The Government launched the Small Business Grants Scheme, backed by £12.3 billion to help firms get through the Coronavirus crisis.. The funding is provided to local authorities, who are then able to offer grants of up to £10,000 to small businesses, and up to £25,000 for eligible leisure, retail and hospitality businesses. Since the scheme’s launch in March, £6.1 billion has already been paid out to 491,725 business properties across England.

In total, Fylde Council has been provided with £21.662 million for its small businesses.

The Government is also helping to pay people’s wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, including for more than a million people who are employed by the 140,000 businesses which applied for the scheme in the first day alone.

It has also introduced the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to provide loans of up to £5 million, interest free for 12 months, to small businesses.

All retail, leisure and hospitality businesses have been taken out of business rates altogether for the next year to free up more cash.

And small and medium-sized businesses are being helped with the cost of paying Statutory Sick Pay for employees off because of Covid-19.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “I am very grateful to local authorities who have been working flat out to ensure these vital funds get to hard-pressed small business owners. “Government is doing everything we can to support individual councils and help ensure that these grants reach local firms as soon as possible. I urge everyone to keep working at pace to get the money where it is needed quickly.”

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